Abstract
Sicily is a region located in the southern Italy. Its typical Mediterranean landscape is appreciated due to its high biodiversity. Specifically, hazelnut plantations have adapted in a definite area in Sicily (the Nebroidi park) due to specific morphological and climatic characteristics. However, many of these plantations are not used today due to adverse conditions, both to collect hazelnuts and to reach hazel groves. Though a geospatial analysis, the present paper aims to identify which hazelnut contexts can be actively used for agricultural, economic (e.g., introduction of a circular economy) and energetic purposes (to establish a potential agro-energetic district). The examination revealed the most suitable areas giving several criteria (e.g., slope, road system), ensuring an effective cultivation and consequent harvesting of hazelnuts and (ii) providing security for the operators since many of hazelnut plants are placed in very sloped contexts that are difficult to reach by traditional machines. In this sense, this paper also suggests optimal mechanization processes for harvesting hazelnuts in this part of Sicily.
Highlights
The rural landscapes of Mediterranean Europe are characterized by their peculiar crops, whose agricultural practices have led to different land use changes [1]
According to such government regulations, potential hazelnut areas can be mapped with specific criteria using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology [9]
The present paper aims to recognize the areas that really can contribute to the primary sector in economic terms, estimating the potential hazelnut cultivation, ensuring opportunities for cultivation and the security for operators during the harvesting according to the intrinsic characteristics of such context
Summary
The rural landscapes of Mediterranean Europe are characterized by their peculiar crops, whose agricultural practices have led to different land use changes [1]. Hazelnuts represent ones of most produced nut crops in the Mediterranean contexts, as in Italy [5], since as agricultural products have relevant nutritional and economic value [6] Given their profitability, they are grown on unsuitable ground, due to the absence of land use policies (as in Langhe region in Italy) [2,7]. According to such government regulations, potential hazelnut areas can be mapped with specific criteria (e.g., slope, elevation, and land use–land cover) using GIS technology [9] Their detection may be useful to observe landscape changes, providing greater support to national and international institutions in the assessment of rural agriculture policies [10] and their latent consequences on local society, landscape, and production [11,12,13]
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